Nails Inc - Jermyn Street

Hi Goddesses

One of the frequent pieces of feedback I get is that as a British blogger, you would like me to feature more British polishes.   So, I'm going to, and over the next few weeks, there'll be a whole array of Models Own and Nails Inc polishes to show you (there's already posts for pretty much all the Barry M polishes).

This is Nails Inc Jermyn Street, which is one of their "classics", a bit like how You Don't Know Jacques is an OPI classic.  

So, some facts about Nails Inc -

* they name all their polishes after London addresses, giving it a very British feel

* they retail for about £11, but you can pick older ones up for about half that on eBay

* they are good quality

* usually, their polishes are cremes, and all the cremes are really glossy

* lately, they've been branching out a bit and have released some brilliant magnetic polishes and some nice glitters, but predominantly this is a "safe" British line.

Jermyn Street is a glossy creme taupe.   One of my work friends wears this a lot, and it ALWAYS looks classy.   One of the things I find interesting about taupes is how they really look different on different people, and really seem to "react" to your skin tone.  This polish looks 2 shades darker on me than it does on Joanne.   The application was great, and very nearly a 1 coater.

So this is a darker taupe, but very warm toned.  There must have been a miniscule droplet of purple added at some point - it just gives it a hint of something, without overpowering it.   It's a really nice colour, goes on beautifully, but seems very similar to a lot of other taupes I own, so stay tuned for the comparison post!

Enjoy xx :)

Models Own - Endamame / Edamame

Hi Goddesses

Endamame is from Models Own's new Spring Collection and is a lovely bright, light, carefree green.

Surprisingly, this was the only polish I really wanted from the Collection, partly because in the promo shots it seemed to show a lot of shimmer and texture.  In person, the bottle also shimmers, but get it on the nail and ..... where dat shimmer go ?

Instead, this turns into a really flat green, as if the "shimmer" killed all the gloss.  It's not bright and shiny, but it's not matte either - it's caught in some dreary netherworld between the 2, which is totally in opposition to the cheeriness of the colour.

The colour itself IS pretty and pure spring.  It's light, charming - it skips gaily when no one's looking, and LOVES to gambol with the lambs - but agh, there's just something that gets lost in translation once it's on the nail.   

I'm really torn as to whether this one's a keeper.  It's different to every other green I own, but a bit more gloss, shimmer or both would have really elevated it into a spring green league of its own.

Enjoy xx :)




PS someone has just asked me to double check the name of this polish.  My bottle says ENDamame, but the Models Own website and FB page call it Edamame, which makes MUCH more sense.  I'll let you know when I get an answer from Models Own HQ!

Stamping Sunday - A Plate Ending in 4

Hi Goddesses

This week's challenge in Adventures In Stamping involved using a plate ending in 4.  As they are my newest and most exciting I picked my Cheeky Plates - this is CH4.

It's a weird little thing I've ended up with, isn't it lol.  This all happened a but by accident - I certainly didn't plan to end up with this - but it is kind of quirky, and I like that.

More than anything, this reminds me of those patterns that are never ending - it feels like my nails should rotate with this pattern circling under my nail and then back on top lol.   It's a crazy funhouse circus pattern!

The base is Models Own Endamame from their new Spring Collection, and I'll post the swatch post later in the week.  I then used KleanColor Metallic Red to stamp over it - a really REALLY good red for stamping.

I wanted to bling it up a TEENY bit, so I added a coat of CND Scarlet Shimmer instead of top coat - I really don't think you can tell.  I should have stuck with Poshe, it would have kept the tips crisper.

Happy Sunday !!  xxxx Enjoy :)

Victorian Wallpaper

Hi Goddesses

Crrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaak ... we're cracking open the vault !!

I did this mani AGES ago, and I really have no idea why it's taken me so long to post it, cos I absolutely loved it.  At the time, it was my favourite stamping that I'd done, and the combination of colours that I used just WORKED.

This is OPI Who Are You Wearing topped with Ozotic 529 - you can see the original post for that here - and I then stamped on top of it using my favourite Barry M silver foil and Konad M83.

As I say, I LOVED this big style, and it really did remind me of Victorian Wallpaper.  There was just something so rich and decadent about the background colours, and the silvr pattern added such depth - it looked like it was embossed with velvet.

Enjoy xx  :)

Spring Challenge - Daffodilemmas ........

Hi Goddesses

Oh this is a frustrating one!  I tried, I really really TRIED. I did my research, found a Google image, practiced drawing it on paper, perfected it, picked my tools, set to work and ..... PAP, total utter PAP lol.

This looked a holy mess.  The polish was about 5 inches thick, the shape is all wrong ... lol, but I TRIED!!!!!!

Technical stuff - the base is either Herring or Rotterdam from the OPI Holland Collection.  The main yellow is OPI The It Color.  Then the darker yellow is CG Papaya Punch, and then the edging - see, I even did EDGING - is an art pen.

Will you look at how those dots look like rhinestones lol.   I tried to do what I've seen other bloggers do to great effect, and create a complementary pattern on a couple of the nails (this also reduces the need for excruciating art) but lol, will you LOOK at how far they protrude!!!

I did this mani a fortnight ago, and looking at the photos, I keep chuckling.  There is obviously something heinous in or around the ring finger that I am desperate to conceal, but I can't even remember now what it was.  Love those contorted poses though.

Oh well, at least I tried :)

Enjoy / walk away NOW xx :)

Spring Challenge - Pastel Patchwork

Hi Goddesses

I was soooooo looking forward to this mani, and aarrrgghhh how I disappointed myself at the final hurdle!

I was really looking forward to this one, as I have never braved a patchwork mani, and the ones that I like, ROCK.  Then I saw an amazing pastel version, and that was what I decided to do.   And that, Dear Reader, is not what I ended up with!  Grrrrrrrrr.

So, technical stuff first, the nail bases are -

thumb - Color Club Sheer Disguise

index - Essie Cocktail Bling

Middle - CG Pelican Gray

ring - CG Light As Air

pinkie - CG Kinetic Candy

And the patchwork was done with a white stripe and OPI Sparrow Me The Drama, CG Lemon Fizz, Orly Ancient Jade and Orly Snowcone, all of which I applied with a thin nail art brush.   I mapped out my sections with the white striper, applied about 3 coats of colour, and then redid my white lines for emphasis.

And this is where it all went wrong.  The thing that makes patchwork manis cute is those lovely little cross lines on the long lines - do you know what I mean ?    Sort of like this - ---++------.    And because of how I'd done my pattern, I couldn't work out where to do those cute little lines.

I am also disturbed at how these seem to look like the Picasa logo - not intentional, but highly amusing seeing as the icon sits on my toolbar all day!

From a distance, I actually really like these, I just also hate them because they don't look like a patchwork.  Maybe I should retitle the post Pastel Aztec, then I'd win both ways :)

Enjoy xxx :)